Sheet feeding and spreading apparatus



Feb. 25, 1969 w. E. MYER-s 3,429,053

SHEET FEEDING AND SPREADING APPARATUS Filed Jan. 3. 1966 [\..f\

Sheet l of 6 INVENTOR' YI WAV/v5 E. ,w1/Ens a BY AGE-:NL

Feb. 25, i969 w. E. MYERS SHEET FEEDING AND SREADING APPARATUS FiledJan. 5. 1966 Feb. 25, 1969 w. E. MYERS SHEET FEEDING ANDSPREAIYDINGAPPARATUS \\\x\\\\\\\\\\ N MN Feb. 25, 1969 w. E. MYERS3,429,063

SHEET FEEDING AND SPREADING APPARATUS Filed Jan. 5. 1966 Sheet Lof6F'IG. 8

INVENTOR WA wvE E. MYERS 20,7% #5f BY AGENT Feb. 25, 1969 w, E, MYERS3,429,063

SHEET FEEDING AND SVPREADING APPARATUS Filed Jan.. s, 196e sheet 5 of@NVENTOR WAYNE E.,- MYERS n? wlw Feb. 25, 1969 w:E.MY1-:RS '13,429,063'

SHEET' FBEDING AND SPREAD'ING 'APPARATUS I Filed Jan. s, 196e sheqt ofe' FIG. 9

INVENTOR I3 WAV/vf E. MYERS k?. #LW

BY AGENT United States Patent O 3,429,063 SHEET FEEDING AND SPREADINGAPPARATUS Wayne E. Myers, Rochester, N Y., assignor to McGraw- EdisonCompany, Elgin, Ill., a corporation of Delaware Filed Jan. 3, 1966, Ser.No. 528,327 U.S. Cl. 38-143 12 Claims Int. Cl. D06f 67/04; D06c 3/00,3/06 ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE The present machine comprises twodiverging conveyor chains adapted for gripping the corners of one edgeof a sheet to carry the sheet through the machine in a suspendedcondition and simultaneously to tauten the leading edge. The suspendedportion is so carried through rst and second spreading stations spacedfrom each other lengthwise of the machine. Each spreading stationincludes a pair of spreading belts running sidewise in oppositedirections from the center of the machine and having ripples forimparting a wavy motion to the `sheet to spread the sheet sidewise andto de-wrinkle the same. Following each pair of spreading belts is aflipper roller having aps to help in drawing the sheet across thespreading belts. Also, a roller having spiral ridges respectivelyrunning clockwise and counterclockwise from the center thereof isprovided ahead of the second spreading belt to help in lifting thesuspended portion of the sheet and in spreading the same.

This invention relates to an apparaus for spreading and simultaneouslyfeeding at work laundry pieces to a delivery zone where the laundrypieces are to undergo further processing. By Way of preferred example,the apparatus is especially adapted for spreading and simultaneouslyfeeding washed and extracted sheets to `an ironer.

The invention comprises improvements in the Automatic Sheet FeedingDevice disclosed in the Grantham Patent No. 3,174,238, dated Mar. 23,1965.

A general object of the invention is to provide improvements in thespreading and feeding apparatus of the character described which enablesan operator to insert successive sheets therein at a faster rate andwhich enables the apparatus to perform a more eicient spreading anddewrinkling operation on the suspended portions of the sheets.

Another object and feature of the invention resides in the provision ofan upright cylindrical rotary conveyor which is indexed in synchronismwith a step advance of the spreading apparatus for carrying successivesheets draped over the top edge of the conveyor into position to bepicked up and inserted into the spreading apparatus by an operatorsitting or standing within the rotary conveyor.

Another object is to provide a sheet spreading and feeding apparatuswherein each sheet is suspended from a pair of diverging conveyor chainswhich bring the leading edge into a taut condition at the delivery endof the spreading apparatus and wherein the suspended portion of eachsheet is drawn across `a pair of transverse spreading belts moving inopposite directions from a longitudinal center line between the conveyorchains.

Another object is to provide such spreading belts with an attachedundulating or wavy strip for rippling the sheet to remove kinks andwrinkles therefrom as the suspended portion of each sheet is drawnthereacross.

Another object is to provide overhead belts in association with theouter portions of each rippling belt which depress the sheet onto therippling belts to render the latter more effective in their spreadingoperation.

"ice

Another object is to provide a plurality of spreading stations eachincluding a pair of rippling belts across which the suspended portionsof each sheet are drawn as the sheet is carried from the receiving endto the delivery end of the spreader-feeder apparatus.

Another object is to provide transverse flipper rollers just past therippling belts which are provided with rubber blades driven atsufficient speed to draw the suspended portion of each sheet across therippling belts and cause the sheet to be suspended in a hanging downcondition before it reaches a next successive spreading station.

Another object is to provide a control switch operated by passage of theleading edge of the machine onto the ironer feed ribbons which lowers aclamp onto the drag roller and a plurality of clamps onto the centralportion of a flipper roller there behind to cause the front portion ofthe sheet to run slower than the rear portion thereof whereby the sheetis tucked down into a hanging down condition before it reaches a pair ofripple belts preceding the ironer feed ribbons.

Another object is to provide `a transverse drag roller just precedingthe ironer feed ribbons to place the sheet under longitudinal tension asit is led onto the feed ribbons.

These and other objects and features of the invention will be apparentfrom the following description and the appended claims.

In the description of my invention, reference is had to the accompanyingdrawings, of which:

FIGURE 1 is a plan view of a sheet spreader :and feeder apparatusconstructed in accordance with the present invention, showing theoperators station at one end and the ironer feed ribbons at the otherend of the apparatus;

FIGURE 2 is a side elevational view of this sheet spreader and feederapparatus;

FIGURE 3 is a left hand sectional view taken on a longitudinal centerline 3 3 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 4 is a fractional rear elevational View on the line 4 4 of FIGURE2;

FIGURE 5 is a front fractional elevational view taken substantially onthe line 5-5 of FIGURE 2i;

FIGURE 6 is a fractional sectional view to larger scale as seen from theline 6-6 of FIGURE 3;

FIGURE 7 is an enlarged view showing a portion of one of the ripple-typespreading belts;

FIGURE 8 is a left hand sectional view on the line 8--8 of FIGURE 4;

FIGURE 9 is a detailed view, showing a portion of the conveyor chainstopped at the loading station, with the sheet gripping clamp in openposition;

FIGURE l0 is a side elevational view of the conveyor chain 'and clamp,with the clamp in closed position, gripping the leading edge of a sheet;

FIGURE l1 is a fractional section on the line 1,1-11 of FIGURE 6,showing the air pressure means for lifting and lowering the spreadingbelt relative to the ironer feed ribbons;

FIGURE 12 is a section to larger scale taken on the line 12-12 of FIGUREl, illustrating the roller support means for the operators rotaryconveyor; and

FIGURE 13 is a section to a larger scale taken on the line 13-13 ofFIGURE 1, illustrating the means for confining the rotary conveyor torotation about a central axis.

The present spreader-feeder apparatus has a skeleton base frame 10lcomprising side members 11 and 12 secured intermediately by cross member13 and at the back by cross member 14. This base frame is supported atits four corners on casters 15. Secured to the fore part of the baseframe 10 are four upright posts 16 bridged by a rectangular frame 17 atthe top made of front and back channel bars 18 and side channel bars 19welded together at the ends. The base frame 1t) is secured at the rearside by brackets to a wide rectangular frame 21. The frame 21 has closedupright rectangular housings 22 and 23 at the sides in which are housedthe drive mechanism components of the apparatus. The frame 21 issupported at the rear end by casters 24.

At the front of the base frame 10 there is a circular frame comprisingan annular angle iron 25 having a series of equally spaced brackets 26secured to the inner Wall thereof (FIGURE 3)` These brackets aresupported by respective casters 27. The annular angle iron 25 forms acircular track on which is mounted a rotary cylindrical conveyor 28.This cylindrical conveyor is surrounded at the base by a circularplatform 29 which is mounted on a series of radial arms 30 welded to anannular angle iron 31 which in turn is bolted to the exterior wall ofthe conveyor. Secured to the underside of the annular angle iron 31 arerespective inverted U brackets 32 (FIGURE 12) carrying cross shafts forrespective caster rollers 33 which ride on the outwardly extendinghorizontal member of the annular angle iron 25 to support the rotaryconveyor vertically. Secured to the annular angle iron 31 are respectiveL-shaped brackets 34 which are welded to both the lugs 35 and annularangle iron l31 as shown in FIGURE 13. The lower horizontal member ofeach bracket 34 and the bottom member of the annular angle iron 31 carrya vertical shaft on which is journaled a caster roller 36 which ridesagainst the outer wall of the upright member of the annular angle iron25 to keep the rotary conveyor centered so that it will turn in effectabout a central vertical axis.

Secured to the outer wall of each lug 35 is a small L- shaped annularangle iron 37 (FIGURES 12 and 13) which carries a series of outwardlyextending teeth 38. The teeth 38 are engaged by a chain 39 whichsurrounds the rotary conveyor except where the chain runs offtangentially to a drive sprocket 40 as shown in FIGURE l. The sprocket40 is journaled to the central base frame 10. In order that the chain 39may be retained in a taut condition the annular angle iron 25 issuitably rigidly connected to the base frame 10 by suitable means notshown. The lower arm of each bracket 37 serves to support the chain 39vertically so it does not run olf of the teeth 38 from gravitationalforce.

A ferrule 41 caps the upper edge of the rotary conveyor 428 to provide awell rounded surface across which sheets to be spread and ironed may bedraped at successive intervals with the outer lower portions resting onthe annular platform 29. Suitable marks 43 on the ferrule 41 at 45intervals designate the successive areas within which the successivesheets are to be draped, A door 42 (FIGURE 3) is openable to enable anoperator to enter the rotary conveyor 28. The operator within theconveyor 28 picks up the successive sheets from the top edge 41 andattaches them to the spreader as the conveyor is indexed in synchronismwith the step advance of the spreader, as will appear.

The spreader and feeder mechanism comprises two conveyor arms 44a and44b which are pivotally supported at the receiving end of the spreaderapparatus and which extend in diverging relation to each other throughthe spreader apparatus to the delivery end thereof. The arms 44a and 44bhave identical vertical V-shaped frame plates 45a and 45b securedthereto at the receiving end of the apparatus. Journaled to the upperportions of these plates are relatively large sprockets 46a and 46h andto the lower portions relatively small sprockets 47a and 47b. Journaledto the far ends of the conveyor arms 44a and 44b are small sprockets 48aand 48h. Endless conveyor chains 49a and 4917 are trained around thethree sprockets on each conveyor arm with the bottom run of each chainbeing positioned below and extending substantially parallel along thelength of each conveyor arm. A drive transmission 50 is mounted on theframe 17 between the conveyor arms at the receiving end of theapparatus. This drive transmission has opposed drive ends connectedthrough universal joints 51a and 51b to the respective sprockets 45a and45b. These universal joints not only supply driving power to theconveyor chains 49a and 49b but also support the conveyor arms 44a and44b for swinging movement. Braces 52a and 52b are pivotally connected tothe central frame structure 17 about in line vertically with theuniversal joints 51a and 51b and are extended obliquely downwardly alongthe conveyor arms to make pivotal connection to the arms at 53a and 53h.These braces hold the conveyor arms in horizontal positions and allowthe arms to swing towards and away from each other. Additionally, thereis a spring pressed plunger 54 betweenthe two conveyor arms which aresecured at one end to the frame structure 17 and 4which is connected atits rear end through links 55a and 55b to central portions of theconveyor arms to spread the conveyor arms apart under spring pressure,

Secured at equal intervals to the respective conveyor chains 49a and 49bare clamps 56a and 5619. Each clamp shown in FIGURES 9 and l0 comprisesa flexible strip 57 which may be of leather or plastic secured to spacedbracket-type links 58 and 59 'by means of rivets 60. Each flexiblestrips portion between the successive bracket links 58 and 59 has abowed portion 57a so that the chain can follow around the respectivesprockets. Secured to the exible strip at the link 59 is a rigid metalstrip 61 having at one side of its connection point a tongue 61a whichis curved inwardly towards the chain and having on the other side of itsconnection point a straight gripping pad 61b. In each indexed positionof the conveyor chains one of the clamps 56a and 56b is in a loadingposition directly below the sprocket 47. The cooperating strip portion57a is then extending around the sprocket 47 away from the cooperatingclamp member 61b to place the clamp in an open position (FIGURES 3 and9). The operator at the front of the machine grasps the opposite cornersof a sheet draped over the edge 41 of the rotary conveyor and thruststhem into the angle between the strip 57a and clamp member 61h of therespective clamps while the conveyor chains 49a and 49b are stopped.When the conveyor chains are next advanced from the positions shown inFIGURE 3, the clamps 56a and 56b below the sprockets 47 are closed bythe chain moving into a straight run and, further, the clamps are closedunder pressure by the straight mn of the chains ybearing against thecurved tongues 61a. When the clamps holding the sheet reach thesprockets 48a and 48b at the far end of the conveyor arms 44a 'and 44bthe clamps are automatically opened to release the sheet by the movementof the strips 57 around the sprockets 48.

There are six clamps 56a and six clamps 56b on the respective conveyorchains 49a and 49b. Because each chain, say the chain 49a is trainedaround the relatively large sprocket 46a in its return run from thesprocket 48a to the sprocket 47a the third clamp in advance of the clampbelow the sprocket 47a at the receiving or loading station is on thereturn run of the chain past the sprocket 48a. This is done so that whenthe chains are stopped in their indexed positions to permit the operatorto attach another sheet at the loading station, the sheet at thedelivery end of the spreader will already have been released onto a setof ironer conveyor ribbons 62 leading to an ironer 63 as shown by brokenlines in FIGURE 1. The conveyor chains 49a and 49h and the rotarycylindrical conveyor 28 are driven by a motor 64 mounted in the rightside portion of the upper frame 17 (FIGURE l). This motor has a speedreduction gear box 65 with a rearwardly extending shaft 66 supportingelectric clutch drive section and driven section 171 that is secured toshaft 172 journaled in a bearing in the rear frame 18 (FIGURE 1). Theshaft 172 has a sprocket 67 pinned thereon which is coupled by a chain68 to a sprocket 69 pinned to a shaft 50a leading into the drivetransmission 50. Secured to the shaft 50a is a drive sprocket 173coupled via a chain 174 and driven sprocket 175 to a shaft 176 journaledin a bearing in the rear frame 18. The shaft 176 is coupled via a bevelgear transmission 70 mounted on the frame 17 to a vertical shaft 40a ofthe drive sprocket 40 for the rotary conveyor 28.

Every time the operator has taken a sheet from the rotary conveyor 28and attached the two leading corners to the conveyor chains 49a and 49b,he presses a pair of control buttons 71a and 71b (FIGURE l) which causesthe electric clutch to be engaged for a short interval through a pair ofelectric switches 177a and 177b operated by cams 178:1 and 178b. Theelectric clutch engages the drive for the conveyor chains 49a and 4912and rotary conveyor 28 to advance the conveyor chains by 42. inches-thedistance between successive clamps 56a or 56h-and to index ahead therotary conveyor by 1/8 revolution. Since the third clamp 56a or 56h inadvance of the loading station has already released the sheet andstarted back on the return run, there are two stations of the spreaderbetween the loading station and the delivery end which are hereinreferred to as the spreading stations S1 and S2 (FIGURES 1 and 3).

As a sheet is carried from the loading station through the firstinterval to the first spreading station S1 the lower hanging portion ofthe sheet is carried on a conveyor 72 located near the floor between therotary conveyor 28 and a point just past the first spreading station.This conveyor comprises a group of 18 conveyor tapes 73 (FIG- URE l)trained around front and back rollers 74 and 75 and across a centrallylocated roller 76 positioned at a raised level to cause the bottomhanging portion of the sheet to be carried over a hump. When a sheet isfirst attached to the conveyor chains 49a and 49b it is in a bunchedcondition with the two top corners separated only by the distancebetween the two clamps 56a and 56b at the loading station (FIGURE l).After one interval of advance to the first spreading station S1 the twoupper corners will have been spread by about half the width of thesheet. As shown in FIGURE 1 the oor conveyor 72 is even wider than thewidth to which the sheet is spread at this first spreading station.

After the operator has attached the leading corners of another sheet tothe clamps 56a and 56h at the loading station he presses again thecontrol buttons 71a and 71b to turn the rotary conveyor 28 throughanother s revolution and to advance the clamps 56a and 56h by another 42inches to bring the first sheet to a second spreading station S2 and tobring the sheet just attached to the first spreading station S1 (FIGURE3). As -a sheet is advanced from the station S1 to the station S2 itsleading edge is further spread by about the full width of the sheet andthe suspended portion is drawn across the upper runs of a pair of rightand left spreading belts 77a and 77b running sidewise in oppositedirections from the central portion of the machine to the opposite sidesthereof. The belt 77a is trained around a drive pulley 79 in the housing22 and around a guide pulley 80 near the longitudinal center of themachine journaled on a crossbar 81 (FIGURES 3 and 5) which bridges thetwo housings 22 and 23. The belt 77b is trained around a guide pulley 82also near the center of the apparatus journaled also on the crossbar 81and around a drive pulley 83 in the housing 23. The spreading belts arerotated continuously while the apparatus is in use.

Each spreading belt 77a and 77b is of a unique construction shown inFIGURE 7 having a continuous exible strip 84 as of fabric or plasticriveted at equal intervals along the length of the belt with theportions of the strip 84 between successive rivet points bowed outwardlyto form successive ripples 84a. The ripples impart a wavy movement to asheet as the sheet is drawn across the belt. The belt proper maysatisfactorily be of a construction comprising a series of overlaidstrips 77s as of fabric secured together by successive rivets 85.

Along the outer portions of the spreading belts 77a and 77b are overheadbelts 86a and 86h (FIGURES 1 and 3) which are preferably of arubber-fabric composition provided with an outer tread. The rightoverhead belt 86a is trained around a pair of vertically spaced guidepulleys 87 to cause the belt to have a wrap-around driving engagementwith a pulley on the shaft of the drive pulley 79 (FIGURE 5). At itsinner end the belt 86a is trained around an intermediate guide pulley 88about midway between the right side and the center of the spreadingapparatus. Similarly, the left overhead belt 86b is trained around apair of vertically spaced guide pulleys 89 to cause the belt to have awrap-around driving engagement with a pulley on the shaft of the drivepulley 83 (FIGURE 5). At its `inner end the belt 86b is trained aroundan intermediate guide pulley 90 midway between the left side and thecenter of the spreading apparatus. The two overhead belts are supportedso that their lower runs are at about an elevation equal to a medialline through the ripples 84a on the upper run of the adjacent spreadingbelts 77a and 77b. Thus, a bite is provided between the upper run ofeach spreading belt and the lower run of the respective overhead belt byreason of the overhead belts running continuously with the bottom runsmoving in opposite directions from the intermediate portion of theapparatus to the opposite sides thereof. The overhead belts thereforeenable the spreading belts to grip the sides of the suspended portion ofa sheet and draw the sheet apart more effectively as it is carriedforwardly by the overhead conveyor chains across the spreading belts. Inorder that the bite between the overhead belts and the adjacentspreading belts is unobstructed the intermediate guide pulleys 88 and 90are journaled on the inner end portions of horizontal cantilever arms91a and 91b extending along the overhead belts midway between the topand bottom runs thereof from the frame structure at the sides of thespreading apparatus. The cantilever arms are however supportedvertically by vertical tie bars 92a and 92b which are anchored at theirupper ends to oblique side braces 93a and 9311 interconnected betweenthe side portions of the upper frame 17 and the frames of the sidehousings 22 and 23 (FIGURES l and 5).

Just past the spreading belts 77a and 77b is a transverse flipper roller94 which extends throughout the f-ull width of the apparatus (FIGURES land 3). This flipper roller is journaled in bearings in the framestructure 21 and is rotated in an advanced direction-clockwise as seenfrom FIGURE 3-at a peripheral speed in excess of the speed of theconveyor chains 49a and 49h. The flipper roller comprises a centralshaft having four flaps 94a of a exible sheet material such as of fabricor rubber running most of the length of the roller. The flipper rollerextends slightly above the level of the spreading belts 77a and 77b sothat the flaps 94a will come into brushing engagement with the undersideof a sheet soon after the sheet is drawn onto the spreading belts 77aand 77b by the conveyor chains 49a and 49b and cause the remainingsuspended portion of the sheet to be moved across the spreading beltsand flipper roller onto a tray 95 near the floor preceding the secondspreading station S2. At the end of the second step advance the sheetwill be hanging down from the clamps 56a and 56b with its leading edgein a nearly taut condition and with the suspended portion of the sheetjust in front of the second spreading station S2. After the operatorattaches another sheet to the clamps at the loading station he willpress the controls 71a and 71b to cause the sheets to be advanced byanother interval which will now cause the first of the sheets to becarried through the second spreading station S2 onto the ironer feedribbons 62. The spreading station S2 has in the sequence here named atransverse spiral roller 96 journaled at its ends in the side walls ofthe frame 21 and having spiral ridges leading clockwise andcounterclockwise from the center to the ends of the roller as shown inFIGURE l, a pair of spreading belts 97a and 97b without however anycooperating overhead belts, a flipper roller 103 journaled also at itsends in the side walls of the frame 21, a pair of spreading belts 104aand 104b and a transverse drag roller 110 journaled at its ends in theside walls of the frame 21 and located directly below the far endsprockets 48a and 48b where the sheet clamps 56a and 56b are opened torelease the sheet from the conveyor chains 49a and 49b. The firstspreading belt 97a is trained around a drive pulley 98 in the housing 22and a centrally located guide pulley 99 journaled on a transverse framebar 100 and the spreading belt 97b aligned with the belt 97a is trainedaround a drive pulley 101 in the housing 23 and a centrally locatedguide pulley 102 journaled also on the frame bar 100. The spreading belt104:1 is trained around a drive pulley 105 at the back of the housing 22and a centrally located guide pulley 106 journaled to a transverse bar107 and the second spreading belt 104b is trained around a drive pulley108 at the back of the housing 23 and a centrally located guide pulley109 also journaled to the frame bar 107.

The flipper roller 103 is driven at a peripheral speed greater than thespeed of travel of the conveyor chains 49a and 49b and the drag roll 110so that it will draw the lower hanging portion of the sheet quickly overthe second spreading belts 97a and 97b and tuck the sheet down into thespace before the third spreading belts 104a and 104b. This also enablesthe trailing portion of one sheet to be drawn away from the leading edgeof the next sheet behind it. Further, when the sheet is thus tucked downin the manner described it will be `drawn by the force of its own weightacross the third pair of spreading belts 104a and 10411 to provide abetter spreading action.

The spread between the conveyor arms 44a and 44b at the delivery end ofthe spreading apparatus is greater than the width of each sheet to causethe leading edge of a sheet to be drawn taut and the conveyor arms to bedrawn together slightly against the action of the plunger 54 before asheet is released. As the leading edge of a sheet is released by themovement of the clamps 56 around the sprockets 48, it places the frontportion of the sheet over the drag roller 110 and onto the ironer feedribbons 62. The ironer feed ribbons are driven at a faster speed thanthe peripheral speed of the drag roller so that the portion of the sheetbeing led onto the ironer feed` ribbons is kept under a constantlongitudinal tension to remove wrinkles from the sheet. As the leadingedge of the sheet is moved onto the ironer feed ribbons it operates awire-linger switch 111 (FIGURES 1 and 2) to lower a forward clamp 112onto a smooth central portion 110a of the drag roller 110 and it lowersseveral clamps 113 onto a central portion 103a of the flipper roller103. These clamps assure that the portion of the sheet engaging the dragroller will run slower than the rear portion of the sheet being drawnacross the spreading belts 97 whereby to assure that the sheet will betucked down onto the table 95a before it is drawn across the spreadingbelts 104.

As the leading edge of a sheet is carried further along the ironer feedribbon 62 it operates another wire-finger switch 114 to lower the bottomruns of two horizontal spreading belts 115a and 115k onto the ironerfeed ribbon 62. The right spreading belt 115:1 is trained around a drivepulley 116 and an intermediate guide pulley 117 (FIG- URE 6) bothjournaled on a transverse channel bar 118 extending across the width ofthe ironer feed ribbons. The left spreading belt 115b is likewisetrained around a left drive pulley 119 and an intermediate guide pulley120 also both journaled on the channel bar 118. The journals for theintermediate pulleys 117 and 120 are slidably mounted and a tensionspring 121 is connected between these mountings to keep the spreadingbelts under constant tension. The drive rollers 116 and 119 are rotatedfrom respective shafts 116:1 and 119a extending from the housings 22 and23. The direction of drive of these pulleys is such that the lower runsof the spreading belts move in opposite directions from the centralportion of the apparatus respectively to the opposite sides thereof.

The bottom runs of the spreading belts 115a and 115!) are normally at ashort distance above the ironer feed ribbon 62 but are shiftabledownwardly by channel-shaped pressure plates 122a and 1221; so that theripples of the botto-m runs of the belts are brought into brushingcontact with the feeder ribbons (FIGURES 6 and ll). Each pressure plateis secured to a pair of vertical guide rods 123 which extend slidablythrough respective bearings 124 mounted on brackets 125 welded to theback side of the channel bar 118. Interposed between the brackets 125and head portions 123e of the respective guide rods 123 are compressionsprings 126 which normally hold the pressure plates 122 in raisedpositions against the -bottom side of the bracket 125 and out of contactwith the bottom runs of the spreading belts. Engageable with the headportions 123a are rocker arms 127 which are secured to a rocker shaft128 within the channel bar 118, the arms eX- tending through clearanceopenings 129 in the channel bari The rocker shaft extends lengthwise ofthe channel bar 118 and is journaled in bearings 130 bracketed to thechannel bar. Pinned to the right end of the rocker shaft is an actuatingarm 131, and pivotally connected to the outer end of this actuating armis a plunger 132 of an air cylinder 133. The air cylinder is pivotallysupported at 134 to an upright bracket 135 on the channel bar 118. Theplunger 132 is normally held in downmost position wherein the arms 127are free of the guide rods 123 by a compression spring 136. When air isadmitted to the bottom end of the air cylinder through a nipple 137 theplunger 132 is driven upwardly to move the pressure plates 122downwardly whereby to shift the bottom runs of the spreader belts intocontact with the ironer feed ribbons. Such downward shifting of the`bottom runs is accompanied by a slight shifting apart of theintermediate pulleys 117 and 120 against the tensioning of the spring121.

The oor conveyor 72 and the spreading belts and rollers of thefeeder-spreader apparatus are all driven by a motor 138 in the rightdrive housing 22 (FIGURES 2 and 4). The motor is coupled by a belt 139to a shaft 140 of a right angle gear box 141 mounted on a bracket 141a.The shaft is also coupled through universal joints 142 and anintermediate cross shaft 143 to a shaft 144 of another right angle gearbox 145 mounted on a bracket 145a inthe drive housing 23 (FIGUR 8).

In the right drive housing 22 a right angle shaft 146 of the gear box141 is coupled by a chain 147 to a common shaft 148 for the drive pulley79 of the spreading belt 77a, the drive pulley 98 for the spreading belt97a and the drive pulley 105 for the spreading belt 104a. Similarly, inthe left drive housing 23 a right angle shaft 149 of the gear box 145 iscoupled by a chain 150 to a common shaft 151 for the drive pulley 83 forthe spreading belt 77b, the drive pulley 101 for the spreading bet 97band the drive pulley 108 for the spreading belt 10412.

Further, in the right drive housing 22 a chain 152 is trained around theouter side of a sprocket 153 (FIGURES 2 and 4) on the shaft 148 andthence around a lower guide sprocket 154 and an upper drive sprocket 155on the shaft 119a to drive the spreading belt 115a. Likewise, in theleft drive housing 23 a chain 156 (FIGURE 4) iS trained around the outerside of a sprocket 157 (FIGURE 8) on the common shaft 151 and thencearound a lower guide sprocket 158 and an upper drive sprocket 159 on theshaft 116a to drive the spreading belt 115b.

Further, in the left drive housing 23 (FIGURE 8) a chain 160 is trainedaround a drive sprocket 161 on the shaft 144 and thence around an idlersprocket 162, a drive pulley 163 for the floor conveyor 72, a drivesprocket 164 for the first ipper roller 94, a drive sprocket 165 and adrive sprocket 166 for the second ipper roller 103. In the right drivehousing 22 (FIGUR 2) the shaft of the first flipper roller 94 is coupledby a belt 167 to the shaft of the spiral roller 96 to drive the latter.As shown in FIGURE 3, the drag roller 110 is driven at a lesser speedthan the ironer feed ribbon 62 `by a chain 168 from the front roller 169for the feed ribbons.

The embodiment of my invention herein particularly shown and describedis intended to be illustrative and not necessarily limitative of myinvention since the same is subject to changes and modifications Withoutdeparture from the scope of my invention, which I endeavor to expressaccording to the following claims.

'I claim:

1. In apparat-us for spreading and feeding laundry sheets, saidapparatus having a receiving end and a delivery end: the combination oftwo endless conveyor belts extending from the receiving end to saiddelivery end, each of said conveyor belts having clamp means equallyspaced therealong each adapted for gripping one of the opposite cornerportions of the leading edge of a sheet to carry the sheet in asuspended condition through the spreading apparatus, drive means foradvancing said conveyor belts by steps, and an upright circular conveyorat the receiving end of said spreading apparatus journaled for rotationabout a central vertical axis and having a top circular edge acrosswhich successive sheets are draped to be picked up and fed into saidspreading apparatus, said circular conveyor being sufficiently large toaccommodate an operator therein for transferring the successive sheetsfrom the circular conveyor to said conveyor belts.

2. The apparatus set forth in claim 1 including means coupling saidcircular conveyor to said drive means for indexing the circular conveyorin synchronism with the intermittent step advance of said conveyorbelts.

3. The spreading apparatus set forth in claim 1 wherein said circularconveyor is provided with an exterior circular platform in surroundingrelation thereto for carrying the end portions of the sheets drapedacross said top circular edge of the conveyor, and marking means on theupper circular edge of said circular conveyor at intervals equal to theindexing intervals of the circular conveyor for indicating the spaceswithin which successive sheets are to be draped on the conveyor.

4. The spreading apparatus set forth in claim 1 including a floorconveyor extending from said circular conveyor inwardly of said feedingapparatus in the direction of feed of said conveyor belts through adistance of an index interval of said conveyor belts for carrying thelower hanging portions of the sheets suspended from said conveyor beltsas the sheets are advanced through the first index interval from thereceiving end of the spreading apparatus.

5. An apparatus for spreading and simultaneously feeding sheets to aprocessing means, comprising two conveyor belts operated in synchronismand extending from the receiving end to the delivery end of theapparatus, said belts having clamp means equally spaced therealong forreceiving the opposite corner portions of the leading edge of respectivesheets to carry the sheets in a suspended condition to the delivery endof the apparatus: the combination of means for intermittently advancingsaid conveyor belts by the distance between successive clamp means toadvance the respective sheets to successive stations in the transit fromthe receiving end to the delivery end of the spreading and feedingapparatus, and a pair of spreading belts having the upper runs thereofmoving respectively from the central portion to the opposite sides ofsaid apparatus in transverse relation to the direction of feed of theconveyor belts, said spreading belts having a rippled outer surface of aflexible material for spreading and smoothing the suspended portions ofthe respective sheets by frictional contact therewith as the sheets aremoved thereacross.

6. The apparatus set forth in claim 5 including a roller extendingtransversely of the apparatus and positioned at the far side of saidspreading belts, said roller having yieldable flipper members therealongand being rotated in a forward direction to cause the flipper members toengage the hanging portions of the respective sheets as the same arecarried past said spreading belts whereby to draw the hanging portionsof the sheets past the spreading belts and enhance the spreading andsmoothing action of the latter.

7. The apparatus set forth in claim S including a pair of overhead beltsextending respectively along the outer end portions of said spreadingbelts and having the lower runs thereof below the rippled surface on theupper runs of the spreading belts and moving respectively in directionsfrom the center to the outer sides of said apparatus, said conveyorbelts being closely spaced apart at the receiving end of the apparatuscausing the respective sheets to be initially bunched between said pairof overhead belts whereby after an initial spreading of the suspendedportion of a sheet by said spreading belts the side portions of thesheet are engaged between the spreading belts and the respectiveoverhead belts to enhance the spreading action of the spreading beltsduring the continuing transit of the sheet through said apparatus.

8. The apparatus set forth in claim 5 wherein said spreading belts areprovided with a fabric strip lengthwise thereof and riveted thereto atequal intervals with the intervening portions of the fabric stripbetween successive rivets being bowed outwardly from the belt andforming a means for rippling the sheets as they are drawn across thespreading belts.

9. An apparatus for spreading and feeding laundry sheets to an ironerhaving motor driven ironer feed ribbons at its input end, comprising twoconveyors extending from the receiving end to the delivery end justprior to said ironer feed ribbons, each conveyor having a plurality ofclamp means equally spaced by a distance less than the length of a sheetto be ironed, said clamp means being adapted for releasably gripping therespective corner portions of the leading edge of a sheet and holdingthe sheet in a suspended condition until the leading edge of the sheetis brought to said ironer feed ribbons, means for advancing saidconveyors by steps through the distance between successive clamp meanson the respective conveyors whereby to carry a sheet to successivestations, a drag roller at the delivery end of said conveyors acrosswhich a sheet is fed to said ironer feed ribbons, means for rotatingsaid drag roller in an advance direction but at a substantially slowerperipheral speed than the speed of said ironer feed ribbons, a clampmember for engaging said drag roller, and means for lowering said clampmember onto said drag roller as each sheet is fed ontoy said ironer feedribbons comprising a control switch operated by the leading edge of asheet in its initial movement on the ironer feed ribbons.

10. The apparatus set forth in claim 9 including in the sequence herenamed a transverse spiral roller having thereon a wide open spiral ridgeleading from the center outwardly to the opposite ends of the roller forspreading a sheet as it is drawn thereacross, a pair of spreading beltslocated just past said spiral roller and running from the centralportion to the opposite sides of the apparatus, a flipper roller justpast said spreading belts and running at a faster peripheral speed thanthe speed of said conveyors for drawing the hanging portion of a sheetpast said spiral roller and spreading belts and tucking the hangingportion downwardly ahead of the flipper roller, and another pair ofspreading belts just behind said drag roller across which the tuckeddown portion of a sheet is drawn and smoothed before it is moved ontosaid drag roller.

11. The spreader and feeder apparatus set forth in claim 10 includingclamp members for engaging said last-mentioned flipper roller, and meanscontrolled also by said control switch for lowering said clamp membersonto said flipper roller as each sheet is fed onto said ironer feedribbons.

12. The spreader and feeder apparatus set forth in claim 11 including asecond control switch located past said first control switch andoperated by the leading portion of a sheet carried by said ironer feedribbons, a pair of spreading belts spaced above said ironer feed ribbonsand running in opposite directions from the center to 1 1 12 theopposite sides of the machine, and means controlled by said secondcontrol switch for lowering said last-men- FOREIGN PATENTS tionedspreading belts onto the top side of a, sheet 769 393 3/1957 G watBritain carried by said ironer feed ribbons for smoothing the 95710955/1964 G wat Britain:

sheet from the center to the opposite side edges thereof before itenters into said ironer, said spreading belts hav- 5 JORDAN FRANKLIN,Pfl-mary Examiner' ing a rippled surface for brushing contact with thesheet carried by Said immer feed ribbons GEORGE V. LARKlN, AssistantExaminer.

U.S. Cl. X.R. References Cited 10 26 54J 63 UNITED STATES PATENTS3,174,238 3/1965 Grantham 38-143 3,228,127 1/1966 Roiland 38-143

